In a closely contested match, Belgium fought back to secure a 1-1 draw with Egypt in their World Cup opener.
Here are our Scout Notes from the game, featuring match stats from our World Cup toolkit page.
BELGIUM 1-1 EGYPT
- Goals: Ashour
- Own goals: Hany
- Assists: Meunier | Salah
- Tackle bonus: Lasheen, Fathy, Attia
- Top points scorers: Ashour (10), Salah (7), Meunier (7), Lasheen (4)
TEAM STATS
PLAYER STATS
SCOUT NOTES
- Belgium and Egypt couldn’t be separated in their World Cup opener. They recorded a similar number of shots, with the Opta expected goals (xG) split of 1.35 to 1.08 summing up the match nicely.
- Emam Ashour ($4.6m), who we highlighted in our sub-$5.0m midfielder guide before the tournament, broke the deadlock midway through the first half with a fine strike. As a result, he earned two Scouting Bonus points.
- Birthday boy Mohamed Salah ($10.0m) supplied the assist with a quality ball. He was heavily involved in Egypt’s attacking play (one shot, three key passes), having been deployed as a No 10, rather than on the right.
- Away from the opener, line leader Omar Marmoush ($7.8m) looked sharp and carried a threat, with a match-high five shots.
- Romelu Lukaku ($7.4m) made an immediate impact off the bench when he pressured the otherwise superb Mohamed Hany ($3.6m) into turning the ball into his own net just 30 seconds after coming on. He should have scored with a late header, too. Injuries have plagued Lukaku’s season, limiting him to just five Serie A appearances, but he clearly remains a key part of this Belgium attack.
“He is not ready yet to start a game. We did not even expect to have him with us at this tournament. 64 minutes over an entire season is hardly ideal preparation for a World Cup. It is fantastic to have him back, but his body still needs to adapt to the demands of competition. He could even have ended up with a brace with that header, but I am delighted for him, and the whole squad feels the same way. Lukaku is hugely important to us.” – Rudi Garcia addressing the media after the match
- Thomas Meunier’s ($4.8m) delivery from the right provided the assist for the own goal. He was the only Belgian player to return in Round 1, delivering seven points.
- Up until Lukaku’s introduction, Charles De Ketelaere ($5.6m) struggled to make an impact as the focal point up top, even prompting Rudi Garcia to try Jeremy Doku ($7.5m) through the middle. The Manchester City winger later had to be replaced in the 86th minute due to a breathing problem.
“… a little bit of a niggle. He’s got a breathing issue. It’s going a lot better, but I think he needed to come off the pitch so that he keeps a little bit of wind in him. A bit of energy for the next game.” – Rudi Garcia on Jeremy Doku
- Cheap defenders Nathan Ngoy ($3.7m) and Brandon Mechele ($3.9m) both started as centre-backs, while Timothy Castagne ($4.7m) was preferred to Maxim De Cuyper ($4.7m) on the left.
- Kevin De Bruyne ($7.5m) racked up four shots and hit the post from a free-kick.
- Both Belgium and Egypt will be favourites for their remaining Group G matches against New Zealand and Iran.
